From Shtisel to Unorthodox and Beyond: A Wave of Binge-Worthy Haredi TV Series and Films is Coming

It’s easy to think that Haredi (“ultra-Orthodox”) communities are all black and white. But the increase in TV shows and films that portray the complexities of Orthodox Jewish, especially Haredi, life in the past ten years has allowed us to catch a glimpse into what life in these communities is really like.

The video below will take you through some of pop culture's favorite Haredi characters, like Esty from Unorthodox and Akiva from Shtisel.

And now comes the news that Shtisel is being adapted into an American version.

The show, which besides the name will share a few thematic elements with the original, is being written by Lauren Gussis and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, who is best known for his Oscar-winning drama “Manchester By the Sea.” 

We will be tracking this version and other upcoming binge-watching candidates from Israel and share the trailers with you as soon as they become available.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Shtisel is Back! Season 3 Episode 1 Debuts in Live Virtual Event on the Last Night of Chanukah

Back in September we shared the good news that Season 3 of Shtisel completed production and will be available in 2021. Yesterday we learned that the World Premiere of the first episode will be shown on the last night of Chanukah as part of a live virtual event hosted by the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center in New York.

Season 3 begins seven years after the end of Season 2.

The event will include most of the Shtisel mishpacha. Here is the invitation:

Is Akiva still painting? Did his engagement to Libbi last? Did Ruchami and Hanina survive their wedding? And who’s baby is it?

The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center invites you to be the first to find out what has been happening in the Geula neighborhood of Jerusalem with an exclusive opportunity to attend the World Premiere of season 3, episode 1 of the award-winning show and join a live discussion and Chanukah candle lighting with:   Michael Aloni (Akiva Shtisel)   Doval’e Glickman (Shulem Shtisel)   Shira Haas (Ruchami Weiss)   Neta Riskin (Giti Weiss) Additional panelists to be announced. Tickets for the virtual event are $36 for each email address. Here is the link to register: https://streicker.nyc/events/shtisel-season-3 Here is the trailer for the third season. Enjoy! A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Shtisel, Ultra Orthodox Israeli TV Series, Now Available with English Titles on Netflix

Shtisel, the award winning Israeli TV series, is now playing on Netflix in Hebrew with English subtitles. We're hooked on it and are watching the 18th of the 24 episodes. We want to recommend it highly to all Jewish Humor Central readers.

Although the series is not billed as a comedy, it contains many comic moments -- moments that you may recognize as snapshots or sequences that remind you of similar events in the lives of your family or acquaintances. We found many familiar situations even though we don't dress in the black and white clothing that is ever present in the homes and streets of the Ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Shtisel follows Akiva, a young ultra-orthodox (Haredi) bachelor, and his widowed father who share an apartment while searching for love within the strict rules of religious observance. The drama is said to allow a window into the world of ultra-orthodox Jews while introducing audiences to the story of the multi-generational Shtisel family as they deal with grief, companionship and every day struggles.

As Esther Kustanowitz wrote in J, The Jewish News of Northern California,

The drama also contains a lot of comedy, if you know where to look. Akiva is charming in a stammering, funny, artistic way that endears him to the ladies and frustrates his father. Yiddish curses — “may you swallow an umbrella that will open in your gut” — make cameo appearances. Shulem’s mother, living in a senior center, falls in love with television, which is off-limits to the haredi community. And one narcoleptic local is named Farshluffen, which translates as “Sleepy.”

In this video clip from Israeli TV channel JN1, Ron Jacobsohn attends the Shtisel premiere in Tel Aviv and interviews cast members and the show's producer. Just below the clip you'll find the trailer for the series.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.